DC-3 UNDERCARRIAGE
DOORS(Garrett AiResearch Maximizer Kit)

Readers familiar with
the Douglas DC-3 may be thinking that DC-3s did not have undercarriage
doors and indeed most did not. With a non-retractable tailwheel and the
mainwheels protruding below the engine nacelles it was intended that this
would minimise airframe damage in the event of a "belly landing".
Notwithstanding damage to the propellors, it did indeed serve this function
on many occasions. One undesirable consequence of this design was drag.
As DC-3s became popular as corporate transports in the post-war years,
speed became an important consideration. To address this need, Garrett
AiResearch Corporation developed a DC-3 retrospective modification kit
which they marketed under the name "Maximizer". The kit included
a number of features such as:

Main undercarriage doors
Aerodynamic refinements to the tailwheel area
Redesigned engine cowls with internal cooling baffles. The diameter of
the open face of the cowl was reduced significantly.
Oil cooler fairings
Redesigned exhaust system

The undercarriage doors in the QAM collection came from DC-3 PK-RDB (c/n
16147/32895)

History
of Douglas DC-3 PK-RDB (msn 16147/32895)

14MAR45

Delivered
to the USAAF as a C-47B-30-DK with the serial 44-76563. (Source: 1)

04APR45

Delivered
to No. 41 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force with the serial NZ3537. (Source:
1)

28APR47

Registered
ZK-AOZ to the NZ Government. (Source: 1)

11MAR48

Registered
ZK-AOZ to New Zealand National Airways and named "Pakara". (Source:
1)

30JUN62

Withdrawn
from service by NAC (Total Time: 28896 hrs) (Source: 3)

MAY63

The
aircraft was overhauled by NAC at Christchurch and fitted with a Garrett
AiResearch Maximizer kit. (Source: 3)

24MAY63

Test
flown at Christchurch after overhaul and modifications. (Source: 3)

MAY63

The
aircraft made further test flights from Christchurch after which it positioned
to Auckland. (Source: 6)

31MAY63

Departed
from Auckland for Norfolk Island, Nadi and Faleolo under the command of
Captain M.D. Buchanan of TEAL. The aircraft was leased to Polynesian Airlines
to replace the Percival Princes ZK-BYN and ZK-BYO on services Faleolo-Pago
Pago and Faleolo-Aitutaki-Rarotongo. The aircraft regularly flew the 800
mile route between Samoa and Rarotonga. It was for this route that the aircraft
had been fitted with the Maximixer kit for the purpose of increasing its
range. On this sector the aircraft was limited to just 12 passengers because
of the fuel load required. (Source: 3)

18JUN63

Registered
to Polynesian Airlines as 5W-FAA and named "Upolu". (Source: 1)

Arrived
Brisbane from Norfolk Island. At this time the aircraft was marked PK-RDB.
(Source: 4)

30SEP68

Registered
PK-RDB to Seulawah Air Service, Indonesia. (Source: 1)

02OCT68

Arrived
at Darwin where the aircraft was parked awaiting payment from the new owner.
Bureaucracy became involved and the aircraft was impounded by HM Customs.
The aircraft was subsequently abandoned at Darwin. (Source: 7)

25DEC74

Darwin
was devastated by Cyclone Tracy and PK-RDB was blown over a hangar, landing
inverted and effectively destroyed. (Source: 5)

The
remains of PK-RDB were acquired by the Aviation Historical Society of the
Northern Territory to provide parts for the rebuild of RAAF Dakota A65-104
which was also damaged in the cyclone.

DEC10

The
AHSNT, having previously decided to scrap the wing centre section of PK-RDB,
agreed to donate the undercarriage doors to QAM. Remarkably, all four doors
escaped damage in the cyclone and subsequent clearance of debris.

JUL11

The
doors arrived at QAM Caloundra.

SOURCES

1

J.M.G.
Gradidge "The Douglas DC-3 and its predecessors", Air-Britain
Historians, first edition 1984.